


Watching

by likethenight



Category: King Arthur (2004)
Genre: F/M, M/M, pairings implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-03 01:06:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2832593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likethenight/pseuds/likethenight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gawain watches Lancelot watching Arthur and Guinevere...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Watching

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [_Jealousy_ challenge at the knights500 LJ community.](http://community.livejournal.com/knights500/9390.html)

Gawain watched Lancelot watching Guinevere and Arthur, watched his friend battle with himself as jealousy ate away inside him. He hated Guinevere, that much was plain, for she wanted the place at Arthur's side that was Lancelot's. How dare she? She had no love for the man; her motives were entirely political. Arthur belonged only to Lancelot. Only Lancelot loved him with all his heart, only Lancelot deserved his love in return.

And yet it was also plain that despite himself Lancelot wanted her, wanted her beauty and fierceness so desperately that it burned. His dark, expressive eyes followed her every move, and he might think that he was hiding his thoughts, but Gawain had known him for fifteen years and was perfectly capable of reading him. Lancelot had always been terrible at bluffing. And of course, being Lancelot, he wasn't thinking clearly about things. Caught between two apparently conflicting desires, he had already made up his mind that he could never have what he wanted, and it was driving him mad.

Gawain, with the benefit of impartiality (not to mention considerably more common sense), could see that Lancelot could have them both, if he played his cards right. Gawain had the measure of Guinevere: she was a cunning, crafty little vixen, and she already had the two of them wrapped around her finger, ready to make them do anything for her, as long as it suited her purposes. But Lancelot, with his flair for martyrdom, was never going to look at things practically, not when it was far more romantic to be driving himself crazy over a terminally broken heart.

Gawain had to admit that he envied Guinevere her self-confidence, if he was honest with himself. What Guinevere wanted, she went ahead and claimed, not hesitating to ask. If Gawain had been so confident, he might have saved himself months of agonising at the age of sixteen, simply by cornering Galahad, explaining that yes, he wanted him as far more than a friend, and did he mind if Gawain kissed him senseless now please?

Still, that had all worked out in the end. The point was, Gawain thought, that although he himself had his own little jealousies he was not a slave to them. Lancelot was. Lancelot was completely in thrall to his feelings and emotions, he always had been, and he was currently doing a very good job of eating out his heart over them. If he wasn't careful he'd end up doing something stupid. Spectacular, gallant, noble and brave, no doubt (Lancelot did have an undeniable gift for drama, after all), but still ultimately stupid.

And so Gawain watched Lancelot watching Guinevere and Arthur, quietly preparing himself to pick up the pieces for his friend.


End file.
